An $82.5 million project for transportation improvements in the Gorst area is currently in the planning and design process. The project focuses on the Gorst Highway 3 and 16 corridors and aims to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shared that they plan to complete evaluation of the proposed plans in early 2026.
The funding, which will be allocated over several years, comes from the Move Ahead Washington legislation, a state transportation funding package that was established in 2022. The legislation provides $3 billion in funding for public transportation in Washington State over the course of the next 16 years.
The first proposed action by the Gorst Coalition is for an additional lane on Hwy 3 in each direction from the Gorst Hwy 3/16 intersection to Highway 304. The second, to reinforce/rebuild the Hwy 3/16 intersection to address safety, access and congestion. Third, the coalition aims to connect the local community with non-motorized facilities to support safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Lastly, a new park and ride is on the horizon in Gorst.
“The key benefit of the Gorst Project is to reduce mainline travel time by 16% from Port Orchard to Kitsap Way and 14% shorter from the Naval Base Kitsap to Port Orchard,” The Gorst Coalition shared. Four alternatives have been proposed and studied for the Hwy 3 area of Gorst along the Sinclair Inlet.
Alternative A is to widen Hwy 3 to three lanes to help with traffic congestion. Other alternatives of A include an elevated overpass, with the installation of two new, possibly elevated, roundabouts.
Alternative B focuses on a bridge bypass of Gorst and the Naval Railroad Bridge. There is a range of possible locations for the two-lane bridge that were proposed, all across Sinclair Inlet. With alternative B, Hwy 3 would remain along the inlet as an arterial roadway.
Alternative C completely replaces Hwy 3 with a bridge over Sinclair Inlet. The bridge would have three lanes running in each direction, with the preexisting Hwy 3 used as an arterial or local roadway.
Alternative D implements a land bypass that elevates the roadway along the Gorst commercial area with a new inland roadway containing three lanes in each direction. With this alternative, local traffic would remain underneath the elevated roadway.
WSDOT plans to have the complete Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) report by October 2026. Although funding was received for design, there is currently no funding for construction. WSDOT stated, “The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) phase of the project will begin after the PEL concludes. WSDOT anticipates beginning NEPA planning in 2027.”
The Community Advisory Group for the project met in June 2025, focusing on collecting input from community members on the project. With Kitsap County experiencing significant population growth, Rick Feeney of the county’s Non-Motorized Advisory Committee noted that cost will be a major issue. Others shared their concerns with right-of-way acquisitions and public presentations on the project not being widely accessible to members of the community.
